News / National
MDC-T legislator Jessie Majome assaulted by Zanu PF members
27 Oct 2016 at 15:53hrs | Views
MDC- T legislator Jessie Majome who is the Justice Legal and Parliamentary Committee chair had to flee from marauding Zanu-PF youths in Mutare today.
The inceident happened after violence broke out during a petition hearing by the independent election monitoring body, Election Resource Centre, Bulawayo24.com has heard.
Zanu PF members claimed to have been sidelined by the committee by not allowing them chance to air out their views.
The youths claimed that only people who were calling for electoral reforms were picked.
Majome was then dragged by the her clothes as Zanu PF members bayed for her blood.
In a statement, the ERC said it was deeply concerned by the growing trend which is a clear indication of deliberate efforts to disrupt the ongoing public hearings aimed at soliciting public input towards alignment of Electoral Laws with the Constitution of Zimbabwe.
"It is the hope of the ERC that the success of this process would be a first step towards constitutionalism, credible elections and the creation of a level playing field in electoral processes.
" However, some political parties who have for a long time benefitted from the status quo are clearly against these efforts of improving electoral processes in the country. Zimbabwean citizens must be allowed to freely express themselves and contribute towards the holding of free, fair and credible elections," the ERC Executive Director, Tawanda Chimhini said.
"Furthermore, the attacks on Parliamentarians must be condemned in the strongest possible terms. It is unacceptable and perpetrators must face the full wrath of the law.
"Violence, whatever form, encroaches upon Section 52 (a) of the Constitution which guarantees the right of every person to freedom from all forms of violence from public and private sources. All citizens, state and non-state actors, have the right to participate and input their views on the electoral reform process freely without fear," Chimhini said.
The inceident happened after violence broke out during a petition hearing by the independent election monitoring body, Election Resource Centre, Bulawayo24.com has heard.
Zanu PF members claimed to have been sidelined by the committee by not allowing them chance to air out their views.
The youths claimed that only people who were calling for electoral reforms were picked.
Majome was then dragged by the her clothes as Zanu PF members bayed for her blood.
In a statement, the ERC said it was deeply concerned by the growing trend which is a clear indication of deliberate efforts to disrupt the ongoing public hearings aimed at soliciting public input towards alignment of Electoral Laws with the Constitution of Zimbabwe.
"It is the hope of the ERC that the success of this process would be a first step towards constitutionalism, credible elections and the creation of a level playing field in electoral processes.
" However, some political parties who have for a long time benefitted from the status quo are clearly against these efforts of improving electoral processes in the country. Zimbabwean citizens must be allowed to freely express themselves and contribute towards the holding of free, fair and credible elections," the ERC Executive Director, Tawanda Chimhini said.
"Furthermore, the attacks on Parliamentarians must be condemned in the strongest possible terms. It is unacceptable and perpetrators must face the full wrath of the law.
"Violence, whatever form, encroaches upon Section 52 (a) of the Constitution which guarantees the right of every person to freedom from all forms of violence from public and private sources. All citizens, state and non-state actors, have the right to participate and input their views on the electoral reform process freely without fear," Chimhini said.
Source - Byo24News
